about all the bad in society but how god is using it for good. afghan underground search is growing i just found out i was pregnant. >> jesse: congrats by the way. >> jesse: see you on monday. have great week by the way. >> bret: good evening. i'm bret baier, breaking tonight. i'm following three major stories. prominent south carolina attorney convicted of murdering his wife and son has been sentenced to life in prison. climate change ahead of the nation's energy security. and the president has a cancerous lesion removed from his chest. that's where we begin tonight. white house correspondent jacqui heinrich has details tonight live from the north lawn. good evening, jacqui. >> evening, bret. the president's doctor removed the lesion during his physical in mid february it wasn't until

today we learned it was basal cell carcinoma. it was all removed at the time of the biopsy and no further treatment is required but the president does face new woes tonight from fossil fuel defenders. >> an internal memo accidently posted by the interior department shows the biden administration moved forward with increasing royalty fees on fossil fuel drilling off the alaskan coast despite its own assessment that lower fees would increase energy security for the state. the senate energy committee chairman joe manchin saying he is appalled and the leaked memo makes quote crystal clear this administration is putting radical climate agenda ahead of the needs of the people of alaska and the united states. the president today focusing on ukraine security meeting with german chancellor olaf schultz. >> we have been together throughout this. >> the picture is less clear. schultz at the white house friday with zero fanfare and no blirl news conference causing

questions how aligned the allies are on how to handle china amid russia's war in ukraine. >> schultz's beijing to plead united states an end to the war while the u.s. is reportedly debating putting sanctions on china, which would be something that would be tough for germany to swallow given that china is a top trading partner. so is there so much division on how to deal with china that the two leaders shouldn't be questioned together? >> oh, there is absolutely no division here. i mean, i think you heard chancellor yesterday in berlin speaking to his parliament talking about his concerns about the potential for china to deliver lethal weapons to russia. >> schultz and biden administration have been at odds before after schultz initially hesitated sending leper tanks to ukraine. a 1 abe braption brams tanked pushed that along others would follow suit. only a trickle followed. the reality of readiness for any war laid bear. scrambling on a china approach. >> we need to wake up as a country that they have entered into a cold war with us. >> nato's new china challenge

adds to unfinished business bringing finland and sweden into the. risking that biden's rose garden remarks last summer may in the end ring hollow. >> nato's door remains open. >> a readout of the president wants meeting with chancellor schultz made no mention of china only saying that the leaders talked about ukraine support imposing costs on russia for its aggression and that they exchanged perspectives on other global issues, bret. >> bret: jacqui, the house will line up with the senate on a bill requiring the biden administration to declassify all intelligence linking covid origins to the wuhan lab. will president biden sign that? >> well, bret, the white house deflected on that question earlier this week only reiterating that there is no consensus about origins yet within the intelligence community but house democrats signaled that they won't even vote for this bill without the okay from the did president. meaning that it may squeak by

with only republican votes, bret. >> bret: john mark karr question heinrich live on the north lawn, jacqui, thank you. >> alec murdaugh will spend the rest of his life in prison. you are the judge sentenced him to two life sentences this morning. reached a speedy verdict in his double murder trial. correspondent jonathan serrie has the story. >> i respect this court but i'm innocent. >> convicted of murdering his wife and son alec murdaugh's repeated denials will sway judge newman it? >> might not have you. it might have been the monster you become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills.

>> judge imposed two consecutive life sentences on the now disbarred attorney. >> you practiced law before me and we have seen each other at various occasions throughout the years and it was especially heart breaking for me. >> murdaugh's lawyers are already planning an appeal. they say prosecutor's unfairly introduced testimony about murdaugh's alleged financial crimes including his law practice confronting him about missing funds just hours before the murders. >> that was being offered as motive for why he would go home and kill his wife and son which we thought was illogical and ludicrous. >> i knew she had gone to the kennel. i was at the house. >> murdaugh repeatedly told investigators he was not with his wife and is on the evening they were fatally shot. but you can hear his voice in a video his son recorded just minutes before his death. >> bubba. >> it turned out to be a crucial peels of evidence for the jury which reached a decision in less than three hours. >hear his voice clearly and everybody else could too.

>> when confronted during the trial by b. why he initially lied about his whereabouts, murdaugh used the phrase "what a tangled web we weave scwts something the judge revisited at today's sentencing hearing. >> what did you mean by that. >> meant when i lied, i continued to lie. >> and the question is when will it end? when will it end. it ended already for the jury because they have concluded that you continued to lie and lie throughout your testimony. >> murdaugh, who has admitted to stealing from some of his closest friends and most vulnerable clients will face separate prosecution for as many as 99 financial crimes. >> today is not the end. it's the next step in a long road to justice. for every person who has victimized by alex murdaugh. >> murdaugh is expected to spend the next 30 days at a state corrections facility in columbia, south carolina for evaluation.

after that, he will be assigned to a maximum security state prison. bret? >> bret: jonathan, thank you. ♪ today, two of the three declared republican presidential candidates laid out their vision for the future for conservatives gathered in suburban washington. the third, former president donald trump speaks tomorrow, correspondent mark meredith is in national harbor maryland tonight. [cheers] >> cpac attendees gave former u.n. ambassador nikki haley a standing ovation as she pitched them on her presidential plan. >> i'm running for president to renew an america that's strong and proud, not weak and woke. >> hali along with official former president trump and entrepreneur vivek ramaswamy are all courting cpac's grassroots activists. >> i'm unapologetic america first conservative but to put america first we have to

rediscover what america is. >> trump will speak saturday night but his name, campaign gear and family are already dominating this year's conference. ron soleman says the hat market mirrors the polls. >> desantis is the next most popular but it's 50-1 trump merchandise over desantis. >> florida governor ron desantis skipped this year's gathering. he will speak sunday at the ronald reagan presidential library. last night he entertained g.o.p. donors telling a club for growth crowd quote some of these republicans they just sit back like potted plants and they let the media define the terms of the debate. some cpac attendees tell us his absence won't hurt his chances of earning their vote. >> i would like to hear from him. that's okay. everybody has a busy schedule and i understand that. >> cpac organizers say they are focused on more than 2024, including on how best to grow the conservative base. >> we have to take our message to all areas of our country. there are urban corridors in our country who have had

the ballroom is bein we'll also get the straw poll results tomorrow night. we also had a chance to hear today from former secretary of state mike pompeo. he encouraged republicans to focus on issues like education, china, and reigning in the national debt. he didn't announce any presidential campaign plans of his own said this felt more like a trial balloon for a campaign that may be within the next several weeks or months. bret? >> bret: mark meredith live at cpac, thanks. tech stocks led a big rally on wall street. the dow gained 387 today. the s&p 500 finished ahead 64. the nasdaq was up 226 today. for the week, the dow rose 1 and three quarter percentage points. the s&p 500 gained almost 2. the nasdaq was up two .5. president biden will not veto a congressional bill that blocks the district of columbia's criminal code overhaul. it's a decision that has caught

some of its democratic allies by surprise. here is senior congressional correspondent c chad pergram. >> even liberals in the nation's capital went too far for president biden. the president ditched progressives as the d.c. city council went soft on crime. >> this is a president that believes in keeping communities safe. so he is going to make a decision that will -- that will help the residents of d.c. >> mr. biden sparked an intraparty firestorm catching liberals by surprise. >> i haven't talked to him. i don't think he wants to talk to me about it. he wants to talk to about it. >> some d.c. residents oppose congress big footing local decisions. it's only the fourth intervention in d.c. affairs in more than 40 years. >> i am totally against our congress blocking anything that our elected officials are doing. >> but republicans believe the president tried to inoculate himself from attacks that he is weak on crime as he prepares to seek re-election. >> democratic voters, people who align that way they want safe

streets and safe communities, too. so i think the president reversed the course was absolutely necessary. >> crime spiked in washington, even as the city council tried to ease penalties for carjackings and burglaries. car theft in d.c. climbed 111 officers this year homicides up 36%. >> nation's capital to be safe. city has completely changed in the last four years since i have been in the senate. >> the president's senate democrats air cover to side with the g.o.p. >> i don't support what the district did. if anything, we should be increasing penalties for certain offenses. >> but dozens of house democrats who voted against the republican plan last month are seething. they missed an opportunity to appear tough on crime. the maneuver gives republicans their first big win against a liberal agenda but it's also president biden's first bipartisan overture to a g.o.p. house. bret? >> bret: chad pergram on capitol hill, chad, thanks. up next, residents of east palestine, ohio confront norfolk southern railroad about laste ox

affiliates are covering tonightg death of a police officer in the city's gauge park neighborhood. steven montano is accused of gunning down officer andres lasso last wednesday arch despite his wounds, the officer was able to return fire and shoot mo montano in the head hes listed in critical condition. a pennsylvania man admits packing explosive materials fuses and a lightner a suitcase he checked for a commercial flight to florida. the lawyer says his client only wanted to set off fireworks on a florida beach. and this is a live look at tampa from fox 13. one of the big stories there tonight. a university of south florida professor will live under water for more than three months. navy veteran joseph detoury wants to learn how humans respond to long term exposure to

extreme pressure. the 55-year-old will live in a 100 square foot habitat about 3. there you go. that's tonight's live look outside the beltway from "special report." we'll be right back. ♪ under the sea ♪ under the sea ♪ darling it's better ♪ down where it's wetter ♪ take it from me ♪ the better. that's why america's beverage companies are working together to deliver more great tasting options with less sugar or no sugar at all. in fact, today, nearly 60% of beverages sold contain zero sugar. different sizes? check. clear calorie labels? just check. with so many options, it's easier than ever to find the balance that's right for you. more choices. less sugar. balanceus.org

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♪ ♪ >> bret: amazon is pausing construction of new second headquarters building in virginia. the move comes as the company takes steps to reduce expenses. it has announced plans to lay off more than 18,000 employees. the construction suspension effects the second phase of its new campus. the first phase is expected to open on time in june. as the clean-up goes on from the toxic chemical tehran train derailment in east palestine, ohio, residence are norfolk southern correspondent garrett tenney joins us with what happened. >> one month after the train derailment in east palestine they got a chance to question.

>> you are saying it's okay for me to take my kids into my house when after 30 minutes i'm there i throw up. >> my skin machines grabbing the machines when i went back to work. i couldn't breathe. >> do i have to wait until i have cancer or my kids are sick or my grandkids are sick before you guys are going to do anything. >> e.p.a. ordered norfolk southern-to-answered it the town hall after the railway backed out of a previous one last minute we are very sorry. we feel horrible about it. [shouting] >> the community is desperate for answers as many residents say they are still getting sick in their homes. they don't feel safe staying and they want to leave but can't afford to. >> want out. >> i think at this point norfolk southern needs to think about that. setting aside a trust fund, making sure that the long-term needs of this community are satisfied. >> in health assessment surveys released today, more than half of the 168 residents surveyed

reported symptoms such as headaches, coughing, fatigue and skin irritation i'm begging you by the grace of god please get our people out of here. >> today, norfolk southern began removing track near the derailment site and excavating the contaminated soil that process is expected to take two months and the e.p.a. says digging that up dirt could send a lot of vapors into the air to the agency will be doing additional testing to monitor air quality in the area. bret? grate, thank you. severe weather is impacting several areas of the country tonight. the sheriff in los angeles county says some snow bound residents in southern california mountains could be stuck nor at least another week. another week there. the fox forecast center is tracking the threat of severe storms moving across the southeast into the tennessee and ohio valleys. tornadoes, strong winds, flash

flooding, all significant threats tonight chief meteorologist rick reichmuth is in the weather center tonight with the very latest. rick? >> coast to coast something this week for snow across the west. that now has turned into the severe weather outbreak third day of it going on today. winds were so extreme in some cases will tennessee 98 mile-per-hour wind because of winds like that, we have almost a million households without power tonight. most of those in alabama and kentucky. that's where the winds today have been the strongest because of that. high wind warnings anywhere you see that darker blue. these winds are going to stay really gusty with us all day tomorrow and by the most part this evening the storm begins most of the that tension and wind will begin to die down. snow to the northern site of this. and severe weather. south of columbus ohio tornado warns over the last hour or. so and then we will watch that of. and then the rain across the

southern appalachians pull off toward the east. a little bit of a tornado threat throughout the remainder of this evening for the most part i think that's going to begin to diminish a little bit. if we do have it will be that eastern tennessee, southern appalachian area is going to be where we have that with this very heavy rain has fallen. with that we have flood concerns. that's going to go on throughout the overnight and by tomorrow we will see snow moving across the far northern areas of new england, so take a look at that 1 to 2 feet of snow. bret, we started this by showing those pictures out of california. more snow coming in weekend sierra, nevada, another 1 to 5 feet of snow this wintry snowy season continues out across parts of the west. bret? >> bret: holy cow 1 to 5 feet. download the fox weather app. or stream fox weather on favorite tv connected device, i do. it's good. up next one democrat can one republican, we seek common ground on foreign policy and

later a vietnam war hero finally gets his medal of honor ♪

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qunol. the brand i trust. >> bret: it is time now for our "common ground" segment joining us tonight congresswoman michelle steele and jimmy panetta. thank you both for being here. i want to start with the common issue that a lot of republicans and democrats are worried about and that is china. it's aggressiveness, how it's playing across the world and what the u.s. is going to do about it. former national security adviser spoke on fox this afternoon, take a listen. >> china has no respect for the united states. they have had their way with us for so long. turned a blind eye of theft of intellectual property. they are threatening our ally taiwan. i think the chinese think they can get away with anything. they don't believe our red lines and move forward as they see fit. >> national security adviser

o'brien there. congressman panetta, do you agree with that and what do you think congress can do about the situation? clear the ccp loathes our democracy and can't stand capitalism and devalues the human rights that we so cherish and, therefore, that's why it's important to have what we did this week a bipartisan showing of concern about the ccp with the select committee on china and so what you saw there is democrats and republicans coming it to that chamber and discussing how difficult the position we are in right now and confronting the ccp and their aggression abroad and the repression at home of the people. and so i think that was important for the american public to not only see the bipartisanship but hear about our concern and, therefore, highlight the concern that we have with the ccp.

>> bret: congresswoman, you are on that select committee. you also co-authored some legislation about support for taiwan. this is something that is common ground for republicans and democrats like you're working with congressman panetta. >> yes. this is a bill actually we introduced together last year and it never came to the floor. and this is very important because this is the warning to china. don't even think about attacking taiwan. and, second thing is, anything happens and if china attacks taiwan, then we are ready to defend taiwan and, third, we want all whole world knows, especially these communist countries that we, america, we defend our allies. so this is a great, great bill. and i'm just so grateful that i'm introducing this bill with congressman panetta. >> bret: you know, congressman panetta, i guess there is some

question about administration policy talking about the support of taiwan. what the president has said publicly, numerous times now, that the u.s. would come to the support of taiwan if china attacked. and just this week, john kirby was asked that question about the one china policy. and here's what he said. >> nothing has changed about our one china policy. we don't actively support. we don't support taiwan independence. we don't want to see this come to blows and there is no reason for that. >> bret: so i guess, people in the u.s. and maybe people abroad wonder where is the u.s.? are we standing with taiwan if they get attacked? >> yeah. look, i think we understand our policy strategic ambiguity no matter what the president says. i think the fact is that we understand that whatever the policy is, we have got to be able to support taiwan if they were invaded. that's exactly what this taiwan

lynn live bill does. looking back at the lessons of ukraine war. obviously i think the number one lesson is the need for speed. that's what our bill addresses. what i mean by that is if i was china and i saw russia floundering going in not being able to take kyiv and basically that allowed the second lesson for the ukrainians to ensure that basically they hold out as long as they can. once they hold out, that's when the support will come. he's why the talk juan knees bill is so important because it's going to reduce the red tape and increase the infrastructure to get our armaments there to support taiwan. so, look, you can call the policy whatever you want to call it i giovani we have got to be prepared to support taiwan if they are invaded by ccp. >> bret: in your party there is growing doubt about how long this lasts with ukraine. it is growing. it is vocal.

there are people concerned that this is going to be never-ending. there are also people concerned that this is going to lead to world war iii. how do you see it from your vantage point and are those legitimate concerns being expressed? >> you know, when all of these lined up and for ukraine borders, we knew that something was going to happen and russia was going to attack. this actually bill is going to safe money because at that point it took forever to deliver war supplies to defend ukraine. and even though we have all these nato countries that surround it but we knew that it's going to take way too long is the reason that we ended up spending more taxpayer's money of the united states taiwan is a different deal that's why congressman panetta and i introduced this bill together because, first, that we are giving them the warning that we

are ready to do it. second, we can expedite until they bring all these war supplies until we are ready to do it. this is really good to show. on the top of that, you know what? how long are we going to just keep up with that ccp's oppression? because i was born in korea, raised in japan, and i hear that after taiwan, then what? south korea and japan? you see that, you know, korean government and japanese government, there are very nervous and we have to show that we are standing with them and this is going to save money for the taxpayers when we can expedite and stop the war right away. >> bret: yeah. last thing, congressman panetta. you feel that though, right, the pushback? and maybe it's not in your party yet and your party is standing in lock step with the president in support of ukraine. but maybe you hear it inside, you know, your district that

when is this going to end sort of thing? at least i hear it as i travel the country it's okay to regret the war. you cannot just erase the brutal invase by putin. and i think that's the position we're in. and i think, you know, obviously the support by the united states, living proof based on president biden's brave visit to kyiv, to basically say we're going to stand with you. we have stood with you and we are going to stand with you and run with you for as long as it takes. now, i think the question needs to be what is that going to be? and how long will our commitment be? obviously from the democratic party and i think the republicans that i work with, like congresswoman steele we understand we need to be there the whole time supporting ukraine and making sure that its people continue to defend their democracy. it's not going to be easy and the president has made that clear from the very beginning.

that's exactly what we need to do to ensure that countries maintain their sovereignty and defend their democracy. >> bret: this is a fascinating point of history and foreign policy specifically and we are getting ready to head into a presidential election. we really appreciate you both coming on and finding some common ground here on "special report." thanks a lot. >> thank you very much. >> bret: ukraine see all the "common ground" segments on my podcast "common ground." you can find that bret baier podcasts at foxnews.com. fox news podcasts.com. spotify, wherever you download podcasts, you can find it there. up next, it took six decades but a vietnam war hero finally has his medal of honor. we will hear from him when we come back. ♪ >> finish the mission. complete the mission. try to do it as quickly and as daringly as you can. >> that word gallant tri, it's

not much used these days, gallant tri. but i can think of no better word to describe paris. ♪ i'm christine mahon. i'm retired from public health nursing and from the army reserve. my retirement funds allow me to enjoy what i love to do. i volunteer with the medical reserve corp. as long as you can make an impact, why stop? ♪ ♪ experience the elevation of electrification at the invitation to lexus sales event. ♪ this feels so right... ♪ adt systems now feature google products like the nest cam with floodlight, with intelligent alerts

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♪ >> bret: better late than never

could be the theme of our next story. it has been almost six decades since retired green beret colonel paris davis was first recommended for the medal of honor for his service in vietnam. today, he finally received it. chief national security correspondents jennifer griffin has his story. >> paris, you are everything this medal means. i mean everything this medal means. you are everything our nation is at our best. >> nearly 60 years after first being recommended for the medal of honor, retired green beret colonel paris davis, one of the first black officers to lead a special forces team in combat finally received the highest military award for valor. >> captain davis realized he was the last american standing. without hesitation he yelled i'm coming for you. i'm coming for you have. >> considera colonel davis now 8 described why and his men weren't scared on june 18th,

1965. >> they knew that i wasn't going to do anything that would have put them in harm's way. >> and what he was thinking during the 19-hour battle as he braved enemy fire to save three fellow green beret soldiers after being shot himself. >> finish the mission, complete the mission, try to do it as quickly and as daringly as you can. and get back as safely as can you. >> soon after he was nominated for the medal of honor but the paperwork disappeared. a few years later it was resubmit and lost again. ron deist was a member of davis' team vietnam the night of the ambush. >> i don't think it was by accident. i think because he was a black leader of our team, i think those recommendations were thrown away. >> colonel davis' daughter explained the lessons that her father told her when she was young. >> he always talked about it's about we, not i.

>> the heroism that he exhibited that day to stay with his team, to recover them, to do everything he possibly could to see that they weren't taken prisoner is phenomenal. >> 58 years later colonel paris davis finally received his medal. [applause] >> at the pentagon, jennifer griffin, fox news. >> bret: congratulations to him. attorney general merrick garland has made an unannounced trip to ukraine. the justice department says garland reaffirmed the u.s. determination to hold russia accountable for crimes committed in its unjust and unprovoked invasion of ukraine. the u.s. has authorized a new $400 million military aid package for that country, it includes for the first time armored vehicles that can launch bridges allowing troops to cross rivers or other gaps. it comes as russian and ukrainian forces remain entrenched on opposite sides ever the dnipro river. this round of aid will be drawn

from existing u.s. weapons stockpiles so it can arrive in ukraine faster. up next, the friday lightning round. president biden in china. republicans at cpac. plus winners and losers and later, note being quotables, it is friday. first, beyond our borders tonight, thousands of climate protesters gather in berlin and other german cities to demand tougher government action against global warming. however, a small pro-business party that controls germany's transport ministry has pushed back against efforts to impose a general speed limit phase out, combustion engines and massively invest in public transport. and this is a live look at london. one of the big stories there tonight, buckingham palace announces king charles iii will travel to france and germany for his first state visit since taking the throne. it says the trip will celebrate the country's relationships, shared histories, cultures, and values. just some of the other stories beyond our borders tonight.

we'll be right back. ♪ ♪

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this house says use realtor.com to find options within your budget. good luck young man. realtor.com to each their home. >> haven't seen china do anything yet as it relates to lethal weapons. every step china takes towards russia makes it harder for china and other countries around the world. >> as long as the biden

administration is talking out of both sides of its mouth, the chinese communist party will take advantage of that discord to advance their aim. >> they called china a competitor not an adversary. france is a competitor. okay? they're an adversary. call them out. if we don't believe that china is truly an adversary, then we are making a huge mistake. >> bret: china is a big focus up on capitol hill. the hill or i'm sorry axios writes capitol hill's great unifier and you heard "common ground" earlier in the show. china is the only one positioned to post bipartisan bubble on consistent and meaningful basis it. is a testament to how far the bipartisan consensus on china has shifted over the past six years as the relationship between the world's two largest economies threatens to spiral into more direct confrontation. with that, let's bring in our panel. byron york, chief political correspondent of "the washington examiner." mollie hemingway, editor and chief at the federalist and josh

kraushaar senior political correspondent for axios. josh, clearly, capitol hill is trying to get consensus but, without real buy-in from the biden administration to put the words to action, threatening, if you will, china, if they get close to russia or offer lethal weapons, what can capitol hill do? >> well, capitol hill, including house democrats, senate democrats are sounding a more hawkish note on china than president biden and his top administration officials. and you heard general kellogg in that clip talk about biden's line, competition not conflict. well, that's rapidly being overshadowed by even democratic rhetoric that views china as a growing adversary. and, look, bret, china is one of the few issues in a very polarized congress these days that actually does get a bipartisan consensus. if anything, you heard from

congressman gallagher's select committee this week where republicans and democrats were largely in agreement on the national security threats that china poses. tick knocke now gets a possible ban on tiktok is winning support from both republicans and even some democrats. so this is something where you could see some republicans and democrats working together and actually pushing the biden administration tougher position towards china. >> bret: the biden administration's policy towards ukraine, poly, how does that effect its policy towards china, do you think? >> well, the policy in ukraine has inadvertently or perhaps just because people haven't thought about it, ended up in drawing china and russia closer together. the biden administration has not been particularly aware or dealing with the problem of china, maybe china budding up with russia even more as this war continues will make the biden administration change. but there's a bigger problem here. you are hearing people on both sides of the aisle talk about

how they care about china. i think it's reminiscent on how you used to have people claim to care about border security they didn't they would talk about it. much bigger problem with china because some leaders in both parties are actually in financial relationships with china. so are so many big businesses, big pharma, big media, big tech, hollywood, this is something where you have much of america waking up to the reality that this is an adversary but we are so entangled it's going to be halder to really do what is necessary to treat this china like the communist china like the adversary it is. >> bret: what is clear is that the ukraine issue whatever it is in coming to months plus where we are as a country about china is going to be a massive issue in the presidential election. i want to play byron this soundbite from governor ron desantis. talking about former president trump.

>> >> he used to say how great of a governor i was and then i win a big victory and all of the sudden he had different opinions. >> how much do you believe a trump endorsement matters in american republican politics today? >> at that time when he was president, his was the big enchilada but our voters want to look at you and size you up. and they take the responsibility very, very seriously. >> bret: i mean, clearly, it looks like governor desantis is heading towards getting in the race. he is not in yet. and former president trump speaks at cpac tomorrow. but, axios, byron, has this five-part plan citing sources to attack governor desantis by the former president. his past support for changes to social security and medicare, disloyalty to trump, lackey of former house speaker paul ryan, response to covid muddled comments about ukraine support. i'm not sure about number 4. response to covid largely in florida was credited for its

response to covid. people wanted to go florida during covid. >> i think the last two weeks have really seen the rollout of the 2024 desantis campaign. is he not going to officially declare until much later. you know, the number one attack line from president trump now has been a really sort of odd one, which he claims that iran desantis is a wheelchair over the cliff kind of guy in terms of wanting to cut medicare and cut social security. that's a reference to a 2012 democratic attack. it was notorious attack ad in which paul ryan was portrayed as rolling a terrified grandmother over a cliff and her body falls into the water below, everybody thought it was so over the topple it was a joke. basically it summarized democratic attacks on republicans for what republicans like to call entitlement reform and now a former republican president is using it against ron desantis.

is it going to get traction? i don't know. but since we are now really in a desantis campaign, i think we are in a antioxidant and trump showdown beginning. >> bret: yeah. 100 percent. desantis is going to iowa march 10th. okay, quick and quick lightning round. here we go. winners and losers, josh, winner first? >> so both are crime-themed. winner of the week house speaker kevin mccarthy for having his first real big legislative victory in pressuring biden not to do the veto on overturning this unpopular d.c. crime bill. it's a bipartisan win and it got biden to join sides with kevin mccarthy in the end. >> bret: all right. >> and loser chicago mayor lori lightfoot who only won 17% of the vote, record low number because chicago is sick of crime in chicago. >> bret: mollie? >> my winner are the children of tennessee. the legislature in tennessee passed a bill protecting

children from children that permanently harms them or causes sterilization. my loser of the week is merrick garland. he had disastrous testimony on the hill where he doesn't seem to be taking responsibility for the politicization of the department of justice. >> bret: just give me a winner, byron. >> my winner is judge clifton newman, the man who conducted the alex murdaugh trial in south carolina. could have turned into a you are circus, he guided it with a very sure and steady hand. >> bret: all right. have a good weekend, guys, thank you. ♪ ♪ >> bret: it's friday. it is friday. time for "notable quotables." >> evidence is stacking up in favor of the lack leak hypothesis. >> bret: what is the determines by the fbi. >> the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in wuhan. >> if we now know why not do more to try to hold them accountable? >> so, i'm going to flip that on its head for a second. it was because of this president that took action -- by the way

the last administration did not. >> i think he will be shown historically to have been a very effective president. >> if the aliens landed in washington, d.c. tomorrow, and said "take me to your leader." it would be embarrassing. >> my children were taken away from me. this is a war. act like it. do something. >> poor mother who lost two kids to fentanyl. the interesting thing is that fentanyl they took came during the last administration, ha ha. >> is mexico helping us effectively with our fentanyl? >> they are helping us. >> i would hate to see whatnot helping looks like. >> bret: a verdict has been reached. >> defendant, indictment for murder. guilty. >> i'm innocent. i would never hurt my wife maggie and i would never hurt my son pau pau. >> i sentence you to the state department of corrections for term of the rest of your natural life. >> bret: one week covering the news. we have some good news though.

weavw mber of the "special report" team tonight. this is ezekiel garcia. he was born this morning to producer juan garcia and his wife kara. ezekiel tipped the pounds at 8 pounds 7 ounces. nice job, ezealial. the family is doing great. that is fantastic one viewer at a time. good for the demo, too. thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. that's it for this "special report," fair, balanced and unafraid. here is jesse. >> jesse: making babies at "primetime," too. don't get too comfortable. >> bret: okay. >> jesse: have a good weekend. >> bret: have a good weekend. ♪ ♪ >> jesse: things used to be hard in america. to be the best you had to work hard. and only the best achieved greatness. you wanted to be great because greatness won wars. the men who sprinted into gunfire on the beaches of normandy were great. so were the ones who planted our flag